Throughout a history extending more than 5,000 years and showcasing a rich heritage of civilization and culture, Al Ahsa, the world’s largest oasis encircled by sand, stands as one of the most ancient human settlements in the Arabian Peninsula. As a matter of fact, Al Ahsa economic structure and social fabric have been deeply shaped by the abundance of palm trees covering vast areas of its lands.

Al Ahsa encompasses a variety of natural resources, two of which are of international significance, Al Ghawar Oil Field and Al Jafurah Gas Field. Whilst the first is the world’s largest oil field producing about 4 million barrels in addition to about approximately 2 billion cubic meters of natural gas per day, the latter contains an estimated 200 trillion standard cubic feet of natural gas, in addition to being the largest liq-uid-rich shale gas play in the Middle East. These resources will contribute to achieving net-zero emissions and provide several valuable feedstocks for the downstream petrochemicals industry.